New York hop extract works was once important enterprise.
From the Waterville Times October 8,
1936.
Industry established in 1875 flourished for
several years.
Decline of hop industry in-state resulted in suspension of manufacture
of extract.
Building has been demolished.
In 1875 a new enterprise was
established in the village of Waterville which was to prove of great interest and benefit to Brewers
throughout the entire union and to hop growers, especially in this immediate
vicinity. This new industry was known as “hop extract.”
During the first year the works
were not completed and it was not definitely ascertained what the results of
the experiment would be. However, the numerous orders received for the extract,
combined with the "lots of testimonials "which poured into the office
from brewers, who had tested its qualities, evidenced the fact that there was a
future for the industry and steps were taken to increase the facilities for
manufacturing on the scale proportionate to the demand.
The first manufacturing plant of
the hop extract company was composed of several framed buildings surrounded by
a high board fence and located on the site where the home of Oscar Maine now
stands on Mill Street.
By 1879 the factory was too small
for the trade a larger quarters when needed. A large brick building was erected on Mill Street, about a
half-mile from the business center of the village, on the Waterville-Deansboro
highway about the year 1882.
In the winter of 1875 the works
were thoroughly overhauled and renovated, and the capacity for manufacturing
increased more than three – fourths.
At the time that the works were
erected but one tank or "extractor "was placed in position. This
extractor had a capacity for handling about six bales of hops per day: but the
demand for the extract increasing beyond all expectations, J.R. Whting, the
manufacturer, decided to place in position two new extractors of much larger
dimensions, with sufficient capacity for running 20 bales in from 10 to 15
hours, with the extract appeared ready for shipment. The equivalent of a bale
of hops was reduced to one – 20th it’s bulk and one – 10th its weight and securely packed into in
tin cans,.
The process of extracting the
hops was carried on entirely in the building. Hops which were not pressed were
preferred. They were placed in large steel tanks, which worked here – tight,
located on the second floor of the establishment. Other tanks below were then partly filled with
hydrocarbon, manufactured in New York expressly for the extracting
process. Water was next forced in
the lower tank by means of a large steam pump, forcing the carbon up into the
tanks above, which were connected with those below by means of numerous
airtight iron pipes from 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Steam was then applied in
such a manner that when a pressure of 130 pounds to the square inch was
obtained, the best part of the hop, and in fact all of the hop except the woody
substance, passed off and was run into a tank supply with what machinists termed a “worm“ where it was distilled
and drawn off ready for shipping.
The extract thus obtained
preserved all the valuable properties of the hop. At that time the state
assayer of Massachusetts remarked upon its analysis, “It is the hop without the
leaves; the meat without the bone; the wheat without the chaff. “
The extract was always of the
same color, the same strength in the same consistency, about that of tar. It
contained none of the deleterious or objectionable substances which brewers
were apt to obtain from the hop when used in its natural state. The extract
never changed with age and thus brewers were unable to secure fresh hops at all
seasons of the year. A greater benefit was derived from the same quantity of
hops, as more virtue was extracted by this process then could possibly be
obtained in any other manner as yet discovered.
The plant operated in all for about
16 years, at times running day and night, about 30 men being employed for all
operations. The process of extracting was carried on in the second building in
the same manner as in the original, but instead of two extractors eight tanks
were in operation. Patrick J Ryan of this village, who was connected with the
company for many years, explained that all operations were carried on in the
plant. Three tinsmiths were employed to manufacture the tin cans in which the
extract was packed for sale.
During the years when the hop yields
were low large quantities of the extract were used by brewers, who, however
preferred hops in their natural state unless a short crop caused prices of hops
to rise higher than they saw fit to pay. The valuable discovery of obtaining the
hop extract was controlled by a stock company with 3000 shares at $100 each. Messrs. Chas. Green & Sons of
Waterville purchased 1000 shares, the securing a third interest in the
enterprise. The remaining shares were held by New York capitalists, among whom
were Hon. H. M. Ruggles, president of the company; E. M. Wight, Sec.; Hon.
Salem H Wales, a gentleman of great wealth and then president of the Department
of Public Docks; Prof. Charles A. Sealy and J. Whiting. W. A. Lawrence of New York was
associated with Mr. Whiting as superintendent.
Mr. Whiting was lessee of the
sole right to manufacture the extract both in this country and abroad. He
manipulated the entire business, paying the stockholders a royalty on every
pound of manufactured. In 1875 he
had but one other manufactory in operation, which was located at Hunters Point,
L. I. That plant was later
abandoned as Mr. Whiting wished to concentrate his business and do the
manufacturing where he could avail himself of the opportunities afforded in Waterville
of securing choice, fresh hops and saving the heavy expense of freight, caused
by being located so far from the great hop growing districts of the continent.
The New York hop extract works also made surveys of the industry in the east,
having a record of each individual hop grower together with the number of acres
in his yard. In the year 1890 they also made a record of the number of bales
raised.
With the decline of a hop
industry in New York State the manufacturer of the hop extract also declined
and the only business carried on with the sale and shipment of stock on hand.
When prohibition came into effect the sale of the extract is reported to have
increased and in time the supply of extract was exhausted.
During the summer of 1935 the
work of razing the building was started and today all that remains of the one –
time important industry is a huge pile of bricks and the remains of the
enormous tanks which ones played important parts in the operation of
manufacturing hop extract. –
M.W. (Westcott.)
